Bittersweet
by Author Demon
Summary: He almost saw her image. It flickered and faded, like a ghost. Tseng/Aeris. Character death. Spoilers for FFVII.


Author's Note: Tseng/Aeris again. -sigh- I'm finding a new trend in my writing. Geez. Anyhow, I have one more piece that is Tseng/Aeris and then I'm done, unless requested by others.

This was written on the request of **Foi**. Your wish is granted. :) I'm writing them more, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's good. XD I'm not particularly happy with this one, but I wanted the rest of the Crow and Butterfly thing to get OUT of my head.

This was originally titled "Bittersweet Symphony", but I hacked off the "Symphony" bit after looking at the 'The Flower Girl, Aerith' community and found a story with the same title. It was named for the song by The Verve.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, the settings, or the game. If I did, Before Crisis would be available in America, goddammit.**

Enjoy!

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"The Ancient," his red-head partner mumbled, "she's dead."

Tseng shut his eyes against the ugly visage of Midgar. The vicious city that had once been the home of a single flower blooming in the slums. The flower's stem, its connection to life, had been sliced short by a merciless katana and a silver haired devil.

As he bowed his head, his co-workers, the closest people he's had as friends since he left Wutai, stood silent. They knew. They knew how much she had meant to him. How in love he had been with her. How in love he was still.

"I know." His voice was quiet, as always. The smoothness, though, was replace with a ragged wavering.

Elena cocked her head to one side. "Sir?"

"How's that possible, yo?" Reno piped up. Rude remained silent.

Tseng didn't open his eyes, but rested his head in his hands. "She was here." They didn't need to hear the unspoken rest of the sentence, 'to say goodbye'. "Please leave me. Keep an eye on the president."

They softly murmured a "yes, sir" before filing out one by one, leaving Tseng to his suffocating silence.

Perhaps it was the confirmation of her death that caused a second pain to stab through his chest, mirroring hers and leaving his previous injury numb. Almost half aware, he had slipped into his own clothes and out of his hospital room, fleeing to the lower plate.

It was excruciating, both the feeling of loss and the feel of his stitches ripping as he stumbled through the slums of Sector 5. He often felt pulling on his jacket, as if someone was trying to get his attention or direct him back to the hospital, but wrote it off as hallucination. He was, after all, losing blood again. He couldn't even attempt to care.

The church was a welcome sight. It took more effort than usual to heave the heavy, rotting doors open. Tseng's vision was blurry and smeared by the time he could stumble to floor by the flowers. Out of habit, he looked to the garden, vibrant with color, expecting the young woman adorned in pink to be sitting amongst them, smiling and greeting him. "Hello, Tseng! How are you, today?"

He almost saw her image. It flickered and faded, like a ghost.

Tseng slowly, painfully pulled himself to his knees, leaning against an old pew to steady himself. "Please," he murmured aloud, "whoever's listening, whether it be her God, or my own, Leviathan. Whoever is listening, hear me out." He brought his hands together in prayer and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I am in no condition to avenge her, nor will I be for a very long while. I know that meteor is to fall within a week. However, I also know that there are people who are fighting for the planet and against meteor, as well as the one who summoned it. I know that those same people befriended her, accepted her as family, and loved her. Whoever is listening, please, let them be victorious in avenging her."

He felt light-headed, and the sea-sickness that struck him on his way from Wutai hit him again; he could even feel the waves again. "And please," he felt both blood and tears fall from himself, "let her return to the planet safely and peacefully." He collapsed not a moment later.

Tseng hovered between consciousness and unconsciousness for awhile. He was able to roll onto his back, not wanting to be face-down in the rotting wood floor of the church. Just as he was drifting off, he felt someone gently brush his hair from his face, smoothing it back as they hummed that same old tune he had taught her. And in those few moments, he was able to smile.

She was okay. She was safe, because no one would chase her anymore. No one would track her down and demand that she show them the Promised Land. Aeris was safe.

The morning after Meteorfall, Tseng cracked his eyes open, the sight of the Kalm inn greeting him. It took him only a moment to notice the white lily on the bedside table, a piece of paper wrapped around its stem. He unrolled the paper. 'We won', it read, and he smiled.

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Author's Note: Again, the song was Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve and is featured in the movie, Cruel Intentions. Good song, good movie, check 'em out. :)


End file.
